An organized cigarette smuggling operation was dismantled by the inspectors of the Directorate of Economic Crime Investigations (DEOS) of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE).
Following the use of information and data from AADE's information systems, a coordinated inspection operation was carried out at car trading businesses, coffin manufacturing businesses, and other storage spaces.
The inspectors found and seized:
The largest quantity of cigarettes found inside the country (7.4 million cigarettes of well-known brand names)
Heavy-duty truck (tractor unit) for public use with altered characteristics and fake license plates
A private passenger vehicle and a two-wheeled vehicle
A forklift truck
The inspectors' findings point to a well-organized structure for trafficking smuggled tobacco products.
The use of rented premises, vehicles with fake license plates and altered identification details, as well as a fleet of transport means for the purpose of trafficking and distributing tobacco products, compose the picture of a network that operated methodically for the storage, transport, and channeling of large quantities of tobacco products into the market.
The cigarettes were found placed inside wooden crates and packaged ready for distribution. The crates had been lined with metal rods so that the tobacco products would not be detected by x-ray.
The evaded customs duties and taxes exceed 1.4 million euros. Samples of tobacco products are being sent for examination to the Chemical Service and to the companies representing the relevant trademarks in order to examine their authenticity.
Four people were arrested and brought before the Prosecutor, while a case file has been formed for the matter. The investigation continues to identify other involved persons and interconnected networks.